The Leathermans

New Site

2010-10-05T21:17:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone. Due to a recent event at our house, I'm moving the blog to a new site. Send me an email, private facebook message, or leave a comment if you want to follow our lives via our blog. I am not an intensely private person, so please do not be shy. If you know our parents and just like to check in and see pictures of the kids, we still want to share.

Trendy!

2010-09-29T14:54:00.002-05:00

Of course Abby didn't like it.

"MOMMY NO!! DON'T WEAR THAT SHOE!! TAKE IT OFF!"

But that's just how she is with new things.

Stephen thought it was pretty neat. It's a Phantom Dorsal Night Splint to be particular; plantar fasciitis treatment to be a little more simple. In layman's terms, I just hope my feet don't hurt when I get up to use the bathroom at night.

I'll just be wearing it at night, and during the day I can slip some new orthotics into my shoes. My original orthotics are from high school, so the podiatrist thought ordering a new pair was reasonable.

When I was getting my foot forms made for the orthotics, the tech offered to let Abby put her foot in a mold just for fun. But I figured she'd think he was a doctor and would be afraid of what else he was going to try. After her foot injury + boot for 3 weeks, she is not keen on letting strangers play with her feet.

If she were wiser, she'd learn to slow down so she doesn't have to go to the doctor to deal with injuries ...

Saturday evening she took a dive into the coffee table (which is not sharp). She didn't sustain an injury on the outside of her face, but her tooth cut the inside of her mouth pretty bad. The next morning it was gaping wide open and we were imagining how they were ever going to stitch her up inside her mouth. Thankfully, the nurse at Wilford Hall told us that we could just treat it at home and do our best to keep it from getting infected. Then last night we were leaving a friend's house and she fell flat on her face on the sidewalk. Didn't injure the mouth wound but did scratch her upper lip. Then after her rest today, she was in a hurry to race around Stephen to the kitchen and she fell and rolled into the piano. I feel like I'm always saying, "SLOW DOWN" to her.

Oops, oops, and oops

2010-09-27T10:18:00.002-05:00

Last night, when we were winding down for the evening, we decided to fit a few more tasks in ... looking back on it, maybe we should have just gone to bed.

Ryan is having a photo taken today with the concert band, and he thought it would be good to clean his hair up a bit. So I got out the clippers and the cape and the stool and he sat down. All went well using a #2 and after I finished with his hair I took the attachment off to trim his neck. I took care of that briefly and then looked at him from the front. I noticed a few strands right on his forehead that got missed with the first swipe, so I took the clippers to it again. Only I hadn't put the #2 back on. I gasped when I saw what I had done, and in lieu of crying just started laughing. The whole time I was saying, "It's not funny! I don't know why I'm laughing! I'm so sorry I just messed up your hair!" He calmly said, "I guess now you get to have a bald husband." So we went back over his head with a shorter clipper. And all was well. (In my defense, I am not a professional. I cannot be expected to deliver a perfect haircut every time. However, I should not have received the haircut that I did last week from a professional ... who I will NOT be going back to. She would have kept cutting and given me bangs if I hadn't stopped her! I worked so hard to grow those out!!)

Also last night ... my phone needed an update, so Ryan hooked it up to the computer, and several moments later, the applications and music were all erased from it, too (though it was all backed up on the computer). Too tired to really be concerned with it, I just said, "oh, no problem," and I went to bed. This morning he had loaded some of them back on, but my iTunes problem is persisting. I guess we'll deal with that some other time.

Then this morning, I opened a new carton of orange juice before breakfast. The cartons are generally too full to shake well before the first glass. So I got Stephen's glass ready and then put the OJ back on the counter. After doing a few more tasks to prepare for eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast, I went back to pour my glass. I picked that carton up and shook it -- only I hadn't put the lid back on!! HAHA! Juice flowed all over the counter and the floor by the fridge. Good thing no electronics were sitting there. I cleaned up as best I could and proceeded with breakfast preparations.

I guess Abby comes by her clumsiness honestly: It caused a giant gash on the inside of her mouth on Saturday night when she fell into the coffee table for no apparent reason! So far it seems to be healing fine on its own. Kinda difficult to put stitches in the mouth.

In other news, I am finally reporting that we are having lovely weather here in San Antonio!

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T07:52:00.002-05:00

With two weeks of school now under our belts, we had a long weekend. Hooray! Ryan was off and we enjoyed the weather cooling a bit--down to highs in the low 90s. Made for a beautiful morning at a river west of town. We gathered with our church group there at about 10 Sunday morning and the kids played and played in the water. They loved the rocks and splashing around with the other kids and even a few dogs. It was shallow enough in the area where we planted ourselves that they could roam pretty freely. The only near-disaster was when Stephen's shoe came off. A friend grabbed it and then we calmed a hysterical boy. All in all, the kids - young and old - enjoyed it quite a bit. Tyler took some photos.

Stephen turned 4 back in June, and we had thought about getting him a bicycle. Because of the heat in the summers here, we decided to wait until September to get one for him. Our outdoor time in the summer was largely spent at pools! So we headed out to test-ride a few. True to his usual experience of being a giant child, he is already at a 20" size, and his helmet size is 8!!

He is LOVING school. He sings the songs that he learns there so much that I'm getting them stuck in my head all day. (Thanks, kid.) Tonight Ryan said something to me about next January, and I immediately blurted out "January February Maaaaarch April May ..." I think each time Stephen belts out the days or months, he sings the whole list a minimum of 3 times. His teachers tell me that he is quiet in class, so I am hoping that he warms up and can be more interactive with the teachers and other students. At this point I'm fairly sure he's just absorbing it the best he can, as it's an entirely new experience for him. He had "homework" this weekend, which was to practice writing his name. The teacher said it was fine if they just got through one letter and that we shouldn't push them to do a lot right away. But he wanted to write it in 5 different colors so he wrote his name 5 times. Yup, already an overachiever.

Abby doesn't seem to mind the time alone with mommy every morning. I even asked her if she wanted to go to school like Stephen does, and she said, "No. I stay with mommy." Last week we got to go to Whole Foods and she pushed a little shopping cart. She was positively exuberant! We also joined some friends at a park one day and she played with her friend Nicholas another day. When we picked Stephen up on Friday, she was so excited to see him that she ran up to him standing against the wall where the teacher dismisses them and jumped up and down, chanting "OPPOSITES OPPOSITES OPPOSITES!!!" The only explanation I have is that she thinks he talks about opposites at school just like in the Arthur Goes to School book.

Big breakthroughs this week for her: She's been ASKING to wear her Elmo shoes instead of her red crocs. And pigtails stayed in her hair for a couple hours this morning. Must be time to have another baby. My baby is growing up.

On Monday we drove an hour south of town to Ryan's supervisor's house. They live on some land and have some chickens, goats, and even a donkey. We like that we can get farm fresh eggs from them!

In this first picture, you see a happy girl with a slightly less happy dog. A few minutes after she began to play with the dog, we heard a blood-curdling scream which was NOT preceded by a thud. I ran to find her holding the side of her face and screaming "THE DOGGIE HIT ME!!" We think he took his paw and clawed her nose, eyelid, and forehead, based on the scrapes we saw on her face. She pretty much left him alone the rest of the afternoon.

The next few photos are from our excursion outside to collect eggs from the chicken coop. Stephen actually grabbed a couple himself. But Abby also wanted to carry them. We had to watch that they didn't swing the bucket too fast. There's also a photo of William climbing up the windmill. I'm glad Stephen and Abby didn't try that.

Next up: the adventures of Tropical Storm Hermine!

First Day of School

2010-08-23T11:22:00.003-05:00

I think I was a wee bit more nervous than he was. Will he sense the other students' anxiety and decide he doesn't want to stay? Will he tell the teacher when and if he needs to use the bathroom? Will he decide after one day that he doesn't want to go to school after all? But overall, Stephen, Ryan and I were all confident that half-day PreK was a good fit for him this year.

We got his supplies all in order, including a new pair of shoes and a backpack, and last week we met his teacher and the assistant. So far so good. Then yesterday, Ryan and I took him out for a pizza lunch and gave him a flip book of pictures that he could keep in his backpack.

Then today was the big day. We were instructed to meet the assistant in the cafeteria before school this morning, and from there Stephen would walk with his class to his classroom.

There were no tears from either Stephen or me as we said goodbye and watched him walk with the other kids down the hallway. He was so excited. And that was enough to make me feel confident walking out the door and leaving him there for the morning.

He hasn't said much about what happened during the day, but he has been happy since getting home. I did have a clue that he had enjoyed it very much: He asked me, "Can I go to school every Monday?" He was quite pleased to find out that he gets to go every day!

Meals and Recipes

2010-08-13T14:30:00.002-05:00

I never thought the day would come when I would be sad about a recipe website changing hands. But it happened. Recipezaar, which I depended on to be able to always find something that would work, has become Food.com, and lost the feature which I most appreciated!

The ingredient sifter.

I would typically look for a recipe - such as shepherd's pie - and then be able to easily weed out the ones that contained ingredients I didn't want. Or didn't have. Their new filter doesn't do this. It just looks through main ingredients and lets you sort that way. The allrecipes site has a similar feature, but it just doesn't work the same way.

I still want easy access to some of the recipes I've found on there that I keep going back to and making time and time again. This is an easy way to do that AND share with my family and friends.

Curried Red Lentil Salad I got a little worried as I was pulling this all together to make for a dinner last weekend. The spices and main ingredients seemed quite varied and I wasn't sure how it would turn out. But it was fabulous, not to mention healthy and easy!

Healthy Energy Bars I made these back when Abby really needed to start eating breakfast but didn't seem to like the options that we gave her. Since then, she has been doing better, but I still want to keep this recipe around.

Homemade Pie Crust Here's a simple crust for the baking-challenged, like me. I found it by looking for one that didn't use shortening!

Spinach Quiche We call it "egg pie" around here. The amazing thing is that both of my children eat it!

French Potato Salad I found this one looking for a potato salad that doesn't use mayo, just for something different.

Minestrone Soup Discovered when I was looking for a minestrone soup I could make from scratch with gluten-free noodles, this soup was a lifesaver when I was babysitting another little girl. I made the soup about once a month, then froze it in ziplock bags and reheated for our lunches. Stephen and Phoena both loved it!

Homemade Tomato Soup Ryan loves tomato soup, especially paired with grilled cheese, but I just have this thing against buying canned soups. So I discovered this recipe one day, and we love it! The kids even eat it--with lots of crackers, of course.

Artichoke Spinach Lasagne This recipe made the rounds in an online community I'm a part of. It's a great vegetarian lasagne that meat-eaters really enjoy!

Meatloaf Don't ask Abby if this is good--she wouldn't touch it last night. But Ryan and I both enjoy it and it's made with things I generally keep in the house, making it a simple meal when I don't think ahead :).

What sites do you like using for finding recipes? I've been on Tasty Kitchen, $5 Dinners, and Epicurious recently. And I'm reading Vegan Lunch Box ... some ideas that I'm hoping to use to make our lunches more interesting!

An Aquatic Victory!

2010-07-20T14:26:00.000-05:00

Abby swam some last summer, but after a winter out of the water, she wanted nothing to do with it this year. We take her to the pool but she just clings to us - with both hands!! This morning I took both kids to the kiddie pool at sea world and fully expected to just walk around with her the whole time while I kept an eye on Stephen. And then she surprised me! She said "get down" and started splashing around. Before I knew it she was going down the slides and running under the fountains. Way to go, little girl!!

A Noteworthy Saturday

2010-07-18T22:57:00.002-05:00

Happy 85th birthday to my grandma! The kids love singing Happy Birthday, so they didn't argue with me when I asked them to sing for the camera. We didn't get to spend the day with her, though we did get to celebrate with her back in June while visiting in Illinois.

Overall, it was a quite enjoyable Saturday. Ryan was feeling much better after being out of commission for most of the week with strep throat. We got up for breakfast and Abby wasn't fond of having to stand while I got the eggs ready. So she turned the tables and told me what should happen from my perspective. She stood, arms outstretched, and said, "momma, YOU NEED ME!" Who could resist?

Later, while she and Stephen were roughhousing in his room, he tackled her and she got pinned up against his bed. As I rounded the corner to see what they were doing, I heard her say, "Oh no!! Stephen broke my head!" (I don't think there is even a bruise.)

We headed to Kohl's to spend our $10 off anything $10 or more card. Get those in the mail? They're great. We found a firm pillow that was marked down to $8.99, but we still needed $1.01 to get to our minimum. Godiva chocolate? Maybe, at $2.95. But then I found a candle for $1.99. Perfect. Ryan stood in line to "pay" for our purchase. The sales clerk asked him, "Are you just buying the candle so you can get the pillow for free?" "Yep!" he replied. See, we didn't have to even act sneaky about it!

Though I would prefer to swim in the mornings, most pools don't open until after noon. And since Lackland's pools aren't great for kids, and Seaworld is to be avoided on Saturdays, we drove over to the army post on the other side of town and tried out their aquatic center. The kids are gradually becoming more comfortable in the water, and we even ventured into the regular pool after playing in the kiddie pool for awhile.

That wore the kids out, and after a burger dinner and a skype date to wish "uncle" Peter a happy birthday, the kids needed a rinse. Stephen took his bath, and then went to bed. I didn't drain the water right away, and when Abby was standing outside the tub with me, she took a dive in - fully clothed! That sure scared her, and I'm sure didn't help with her fear of water.

(Side note - Pete turned 60, and after we sang to him, Stephen said "pretty soon you're going to be 70!" Silly kids' books start counting by 10 after they get to 20 ...)

I've been feeling the baby moving, and Ryan has even been able to feel some kicks from the outside a few times. Makes me wonder if this little guy/girl is going to be pretty active.

A Slice of Life with Stephen

2010-07-07T15:10:00.007-05:00

Yes, we have a 4-year-old.

And he picked out the glasses himself. With the 10 dollars he was given and told to spend at the Dollar Tree. He also got some number magnets for the fridge and some letter vinyl stickers for the sliding glass door.

Because of the distance from family, we celebrated with Ryan's family early in June, with my parents July 4th weekend, with Emily the day before his birthday, and for his actual birthday dinner had one of the kids' favorite people (Brian) over for a pizza dinner.

And because I thought it would be fun, I wanted to share a few of Stephen's more interesting moments from recent weeks ...

Thanks to Ryan, Stephen now knows a few knock-knock jokes, which he loves telling to Abby in particular. The other night, he started making up his own. They went like this:

Knock-knock
Who's there?
Banana
Banana who?
Banana rain.

Knock-knock
Who's there?
Pillow
Pillow who?
Pillow pretzel.

And he wonders why I call him "goofball" instead of "Stephen" sometimes.

He continues to love music and surprised me by knowing all the lyrics to How Deep the Father's Love for Us (which I sing to Abby before bed). I even recorded it--listen here for yourself. I really like this song--so much so that it was performed at our wedding.

He misses music class. It doesn't continue through the summer, but he will hopefully be in the 4-year-old class this fall. Last Monday he began a gym class. It's definitely not his forte, but I think it'll really help him with some of his confidence in trying new activities.

He continues to play fairly well with his little sister, Abby. Lucky for him, she's a tough girl who can handle his roughhousing. Last night he made up a new game. He would pretend that we left Abby at HEB and then we would go look for her. She loved pretending that our house was a grocery store, so she played along very well.

Though he just had a birthday, he is looking forward to his next one. He regularly tells me about his future birthday cakes. It goes like this: "And after I am 4, I think I will be 5. And on my cake I want it to say 'STEPHEN 5.' And after I am 5, I think I will be 6. And on my cake I want it to say 'STEPHEN 6.'" And on he goes ... I think we've gotten all the way to when he turns 30. But he's not the one turning 30 anytime soon. That honor belongs to his daddy.

Oops, let's start with Abby's birthday

2010-06-29T12:55:00.004-05:00

At least I have an excuse. And that excuse was the first trimester.

I never did get much up for Abby's birthday, and now Stephen's had his, and, well, I'm still sitting on a few of Abby's thank you notes. Sigh.

So here goes.

Abby's 2nd birthday will always be remembered for 2 things: crayons and elmo cake pops.

We celebrated with the Texas contingent of the family and a few friends for brunch in the morning. This is when the crayon blessings began. Abby is now the proud owner of a crayon case, a crayon carousel, and a crayon box. I think we've only actually gotten out 1/3 of them, but since most of them are already broken, I think it's time to pull out some more.

Ever since I learned about Sesame Street Cake Pops, I really wanted to make some for Abby's birthday. I knew it would be a lot of work, but I think she loved them as did our friends who got to try some. It was lots of work, and I was thankful to have Yvette and my mom to put them together with me.

We enjoyed them on Sunday evening (the 25th) with our church family. A few pictures to enjoy:

Ready to go!

Yvette working her magic - writing the pupils for the eyes on the m&ms with edible markers.

Photos from this week

2010-06-15T22:07:00.003-05:00

Goodbye, Des Moines!

Status Updates that Were Not Posted in the Past Four Weeks

2010-05-17T12:14:00.000-05:00

Why must my neighborhood have so many speed bumps?

At 1 a.m., surely while asleep, I asked Ryan if he had any iphone apps that would make suckers. Because I thought Abby would want one.

I had a dream that I played a concerto with an orchestra at a festival in the middle of nowhere. But had no recollection of how the performance went.

I'm so thankful for all the Mexican food available in San Antonio. Yum.

Lisa wishes Stephen would keep his elbows off mommy's tummy.

Cake pops. Yuck.

Why doesn't Dana live in Texas?

Needs. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. Now.

Had a dream that door-to-door salesmen had a new strategy: Ring the doorbell at 3 a.m. That way you're guaranteed to be home.

Husband boxers = maternity shorts for around the house!

Lisa wonders if we'll get another deduction for 2010.

Yes, there are leftovers in the house, but it was very important to send Ryan out at 10 p.m. for a gyro and stuffed grape leaves.

Let's play "describe Lisa in one word." I'll go first: tired.

Frustrating Morning

2010-05-15T13:48:00.002-05:00

It's a beautiful day here - 70s and sunny - and yet life has just been slightly inconvenient. Nothing worth making a big deal out of ... But my grandma reads this weblog. And my grandma will care. :)

This morning, I headed downtown to the natatorium for swimming lesson sign-up. They have this one sign-up for the whole city, regardless of the pool where you'll take lessons. Now we live on the far west side, and we don't just "stop by" downtown. But there's a pool around the corner from our house and that's where I'm planning to take Stephen this summer.

I got there and was handed #60 and told to wait for my turn. About an hour later, and they were only to #25. I overheard someone talking about them not taking out-of-town checks, so I inquired and found that indeed, even if my drivers license is local, they would not take a check that was imprinted with "IL."

So I left to find an ATM. There was a Walgreens about a mile away and that would work. I got out of the car to go in, and found that it was closed due to a burglary they'd had overnight. So up the road to the next one. Finally I made it back to the pool with my $40 in hand and I went to wait. They were almost to #60.

When I told them the pool that I wanted to sign up for, they said, "oh we aren't taking registrations for that pool right now." It would have been helpful to note that on their website (or at the very least a sign at check-in), where they clearly stated that they WERE taking registrations for our pool. All I got was a "sorry."

A little teary out of sheer frustration and a little emotional these days anyway, I hopped back in the car and drove home, where we were planning to go to a garage sale auction that was selling a kitchen table to the highest bidder at noon.

We've been keeping our eyes out for a sturdy 6-person table with 6 chairs included ever since we moved here. A few months ago, a friend offered us a table (for free) as soon as her other friend was done with it. So we stopped looking. Then found out this week that her other friend wanted to keep it after all. Which is fine, I suppose. So we're looking again and this table at the garage sale fit the bill. But when we got there at 11:45, they seemed to have sold it to someone early and had closed up shop. So we went to wal-mart, bought some light bulbs and said hello to the fish.

Now I think I'll take a nap. Birthday party later ... that CAN'T go wrong, can it?

What a 2-year-old apparently does for fun

2010-04-29T14:01:00.004-05:00

We'll have to get out of order here a little as I just need a little time to put a birthday post together for Abby. I had gotten some feedback that friends and family enjoyed seeing some daily shots of what the kids and I are up to.

Of course we had our crazy birthday weekend. And Abby now tells you that she is "two." This week, we FINALLY did a bus ride to downtown. Sure enough, it was terribly complicated and we ended up having to do a transfer on the way back to get to our van even though we rode the same route back. I don't know if it was worth it in the long run, though it was nice not to navigate the streets and ramps downtown.

I'll let the pictures take it from here.

By a plane small enough that you can see the plane and not just the wheels when taking a photo of him!

Yes, there were airplanes everywhere but that doesn't compare to pipes that are "puh-pul."

I thought this was such a sweet photo. She would love to be in music class herself, but instead she just gets to observe her big brother.

Here we are at some fountains by the Tower of the Americas. I imagine this will be really nice (and crowded) in the heat of the summer.

Abby was eating a snack and when she saw some kids eating lunch, she wanted to join them.

At a park that we've been meaning to go to for awhile. It was nice for the kids to run around in (similar to meadowbrook in Urbana). But there were over 100 kids there for a field trip. It was a nightmare to keep track of my 2!

A Week in Photos, thanks to the phone ...

2010-04-14T20:36:00.005-05:00

For those of you who are just curious what we're up to, here are some snapshots from everyday life during the past week.

Here is Abby giving Boz the Bear some of Stephen's smoothie.

And here is Stephen separating the dough to make rolls. He's always grateful for a little bite when he's helping in the kitchen.

Here is Abby perched in her favorite kitchen cupboard. She sometimes sits there and waits for us to come find her.

The two of us, just an hour after our 10K on Sunday.

The photo I took of myself after the race on Saturday. What I didn't know at the time was that Ryan was still running ... he finished behind me even though his time was 7 minutes faster than mine. This was due to a miscommunication at the starting line. He started 18 minutes after the race actually started; mom and I began about 7 minutes into it. For more race photos, you can search for our results and then click on the camera icon.

Here is mom standing on the bridge that marked the beginning of the race.

We wouldn't have gotten anywhere with this one in the drivers' seat.

Fun at the kids' event on base last Saturday.

Stephen likes to create these photos ... he gets to choose a border and a special character. If you want, we can make one for you!!

Abby now has a puh-pul sand pail and she also loves Big Bird. Thus, the photo.

Just wanted to include this because this ensemble was her choice. She put the hat on herself and chose the mismatched socks and asked me to put them on her. She also has a fetish with having sippy cups always at her disposal.

At the Witte Museum's free evening last week. The kids enjoyed walking around, but they didn't quite understand the exhibits yet.

Let's hear it for Seaworld passes ...

2010-04-01T21:54:00.005-05:00

With Seaworld less than 3 miles from our house, we would be a little crazy not to take advantage of the fun. Sometimes we take the whole day to be there, but more and more we're figuring out how to take it in a little at a time.

Today's outing was the Sesame Street show: "Big Bird's Beach Party." After the kids rested this afternoon, the 3 of us loaded up in the van and we drove over. Ryan couldn't make it--the only show today was at 4:45 and he wouldn't make it in time after work.

If you know Abby at all, you know that she loves Elmo. And Big Bird ("bird"). And Cookie Monster ("monsers"). And Oscar ("ahk sa"). And Snuffy ("nuffy").

She was star struck. And Stephen didn't have a bad time either.

Must be a cold front

2010-04-01T13:42:00.002-05:00

1:46, CST

Shorewood, IL: 80° F
Des Moines, IA: 81° F
Urbana, IL: 79° F
San Antonio, TX: 77° F

She's Half His Age

2010-02-20T14:47:00.006-06:00

Today is February 20 and Abby is 4 days shy of 22 months. Which is exactly how old Stephen was when Abby was born.

We're not really "celebrating" but I have been mentally noting it, and thinking back to the trucks that excited Stephen at that time, and how pushing the button and riding an elevator was so momentous.

Last night, my friend Carrie from high school youth group came into town. She lives in Austin now, and I've seen her twice now since living here. We took the kids to the Japanese tea garden near downtown and it was truly beautiful! I think I'll go back sometime without the kids--or at least when Stephen isn't having "accidents" on a regular basis.

We then had a light dinner at The Cove and then brought the kids home to put them to bed. We had such a great time catching up and even reminiscing about old times. Photos were brought out and there was laughter. :)

This morning we celebrated Elmo's birthday at Borders. Yes, that really is Abby sitting on an Elmo book that she found on the shelves.

I'm excited that dinner tonight as well as dinner tomorrow is going to be messing up someone else's kitchen ... thanks, Tina and Patti! Don't worry -- I'll remember the food I'm supposed to bring.

An Accident of a Different Nature

2010-02-16T14:44:00.002-06:00

Some of you may know that we're finally taking the step of toilet independence for Stephen. The days of "when he shows an interest" or "when he asks to go" are over, as he will be four in June and we're just done with diapers (for him at least). Last Tuesday we told him that he didn't wear diapers any more and we put them all in Abby's room.

It's been a challenging week but we've stuck to it and I'm finally seeing some improvement.

I have been proudly sharing that he's had an accident-free day -- which he has! But he also hasn't gone #2 very much since the whole process started, and I'm beginning to think that my child, who has never been constipated in his life, might be holding it in a little too much.

So I looked up some information online (because where else can you find reliable medical information :)?) and there were the usual suggestions of prune juice and fruit, the latter of which he is already eating quite a bit of. Then I saw that popcorn can do it. And the boy loves popcorn. So I set out to make a batch in the Stir Crazy. He was thrilled and stood on a stool to watch the kernels transform from yellow to puffs of white.

So I need to back up here and say that Ryan is the popcorn master in this house. He waits until it is just popped, then turns it off and immediately removes the popcorn from the heat source so it doesn't burn. Then he butters it and flavors with salt and pepper.

I tried to be as deft as he is, quickly maneuvering the hot equipment.

But I failed miserably. I did manage to keep it away from Stephen, but after I picked up the base with the popcorn on it, my fingers reacted to the heat and threw it to the ground. This broke the edge of the maker in several places and I doubt it will function properly any more. I will have to break the news to Ryan soon, if he doesn't hear it first from someone else.

Think Stir Crazy gives replacements for potty-training-related accidents?

Meal Planning

2010-01-23T22:38:00.002-06:00

I've been planning meals tonight. My kids are, well, kids. They'll eat some of what I cook but not all. My husband eats it all, even when it's something he doesn't like. But I do try to cook food that he likes for the most part.

Just for fun, I decided to come up with a list of 5 recipes that I will never make for Ryan. Cuz he just wouldn't 'preciate it. But maybe you would! Take a look ...

1. Chicken Salad on Cantaloupe Rings

2. Rangooni Vaal Nu Shaak

3. Papillotes meli-melo: Mixed fruits with honey, raisins, pistachios and coconut

4. Aspen Carrot Cake with Raisins and Cream Cheese frosting

5. Soy Banana Tapioca Pudding

He's not very picky. It was hard to find these recipes! (If viewing in facebook, click on "see original."

2009 A to Z

2009-12-31T23:47:00.005-06:00

What a year 2009 has been! We ushered it in from a hotel room in Bloomington, IL, where Ryan was performing at a New Year’s Eve party. That was before Ryan was even offered the job in San Antonio. And now we’re polishing it off with a gig in San Antonio.

Both Stephen (3.5) and Abby (1.5), in their age-appropriate ways, LOVE the English alphabet. Their favorite form of reciting and hearing it is Dr. Seuss’s ABC book, though they love many other forms. So we thought it was fitting to give you a rundown of our 2009 year, A-B-C style. It's completely out of order chronologically.

We settled for the most obvious choice for A: the United States Air Force. Ryan was offered a position in the Band of the West that’s stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. We packed up in Urbana, IL, this summer and drove the 17 hours southwest to our new city. We settled into our temporary housing in the midst of a streak of 42 days where temperatures reached over 100 degrees.

From a chance encounter with another mother at a park, I learned that Thomas the Tank Engine was coming to Texas! We knew Stephen would love the chance to ride on Thomas, so we bought tickets for him and Ryan to take the 20-minute ride in Burnet, TX, pulled by the Thomas engine. The rain could have ruined it for us, but Stephen took it all in stride and grinned from ear to ear as he stepped aboard. Also in this excursion: a meet-and-greet with Sir Topham Hatt.

We know there is a lot of stigma associated with “meeting people on the internet,” but we are so glad we did! A few times this past year, we typed “San Antonio house church” into a search engine, found an old post on city-data.com, and that’s how we’ve met many of our new friends, including a group of people that we’ve begun to meet with regularly.

Drip drop 110. We don’t know what it means either. Ask Stephen.

Evelyn Blane was a close friend of our family’s, from our days in Peoria, IL. She had been battling cancer for over a year, and this July we said goodbye to her. We’re thankful that the kids and Lisa had been able to see her in June when we were on our way to Iowa. We also said goodbye to Lisa’s Great-Aunt Gerda this spring.

For the first time since October of 2005, Lisa is neither pregnant nor nursing. We took advantage of this time to spend an extended period of time together, leaving both children with Lisa’s parents. We stayed in both downtown San Antonio and Port Aransas, dining in a variety of restaurants that ran the gamut from McDonald’s to The Chart House in the Tower of the Americas. One of the more special establishments was Fossati’s in Victoria, Texas, heralded as the oldest deli in Texas, and still owned by the original family.

With home ownership (more on that later) comes home improvement projects, and Ryan is determined to tackle as many of them on our own as we can. One of the more challenging ones was a Genie garage door opener that he and our friend Adam installed one day in September. We’re thankful for friends like Adam and Brian, who fastened many a bolt on the shed we put outside our back door. (They don’t seem to mind the meals Lisa cooks for them while they’re over here working.)

A project that was out of our control was the disconnect box on the furnace. When the temperatures started dropping, we turned on the heat, and discovered that it only worked for a few minutes. (It had been tested during the inspection, but this was not caught.) An HVAC specialist, an electrician, and a chilly night later, we had a working furnace again.

When we first moved to San Antonio, we lived in temporary housing for a month. This meant hours and hours of time for Lisa to occupy the 2 kids in a) a small hotel suite and b) the 100-degree heat. We did a little of both. Stephen took note of the many trainees walking around and shouting “1-2-3-4” as they marched. They must have been a little inarticulate, because what he heard and repeated with all the strength he could muster, while marching himself, was this: “I-O-I-O.” He did this in the most choice locations: the middle of the commissary aisle – the sidewalk in front of the fitness facility. At least he’s only 3.

Long before we took the kids and Lisa’s parents and sister to Sea World for the first time, Stephen had been enamored with the roller coasters. He saw them from a distance and thought they were the neatest trains he had ever seen. He wanted to go on them. And lucky for him (and us), they do have a kiddie coaster, Shamu Express. Which he went on. Five times. But that didn’t satisfy him. He wanted to go on a way-up-higher roller coaster. Because he is so tall for a 3-year-old, he just cleared the height requirement for a combination water ride/roller coaster, the Journey to Atlantis. We both went on it with him, putting him between us, and hoping that he wouldn’t be too terrorized. He handled it extremely well, not crying at all after the drop was over. But this was how we knew it had pushed his limits: He refused to go on it again.

We did it. We bought a house. And all the lovely benefits and drawbacks that go along with it. We’re enjoying our ranch-style home on the corner of Kinderhook and St. Lawrence St. in San Antonio.

One of our criteria for a home to buy was that it was free of lead-based paint. We learned the hard way that a little girl doesn’t have to chew on windowsills to have lead poisoning. Our sweet 10-month-old Abby was found to have a level of 15 micrograms per deciliter. (A safe level is 0, but under 3 isn’t considered cause for alarm. Levels in the 20s can cause permanent brain damage.) We’re thankful that it was discovered when it was, and we wiped down the offending areas of the home and our landlords (who hadn’t disclosed the paint and could be in big trouble if we decided to sue) took care of the chipping paint, making it possible for us to finish up our year’s lease before leaving at the end of July. (Two months later Abby's level was way down. Yay!)

Stephen is growing up, and with that comes special events, such as his first movie in the theater. Ryan took him to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and said he was transfixed the entire time. Now he regularly asks me to read him the story since we have it as a picture book.

New Years’ Eve. The usual. Ryan is playing a gig and Lisa is home with the kids. But home beats a hotel room, curled up in the bathroom so as not to wake the kids.

Since before we were even dating, Lisa drove a champagne-colored Oldsmobile, which was inherited from her Grandma Doris. It was the only car Stephen had really known us to have, and to this day, he calls it “Our Car,” (please note the capital O and C). How ironic, then, that the day it chose to die on us was his third birthday. Ryan was away at basic training with literally no way to be reached. Lisa had to write him a letter, which he received over a week later. We were more than thankful for a car to borrow for the rest of the time that we were in the Midwest. Thanks, Great Grandma Fay! Since we’ve been in Texas, we’ve purchased two vehicles: a Nissan Sentra and a Dodge Grand Caravan. Neither one would win a drag race, but they get us from point A to point B, and in a big city in a big state, that’s rather important.

Stephen really understood his birthday this year, and we wanted to have some fun parties for him. But what we did not understand was the logic behind his somewhat strange requests. When we celebrated with Lisa’s side of the family, we asked him what kind of cake he wanted. “Blue cake,” was his only response, and he was consistent. We tried offering different kinds of cakes, but he just wanted a blue cake. Grandma Lindstrom came through and he was thrilled. Then it was on to the Leatherman side of the family, only this time the request was also specific, “Green cake.” And that’s exactly what he got, frosting and inside included (thanks Aunt Care). By the way, he highly recommends birthday parties to everyone.

Near our house is a duck pond and playground that we frequent. And one of Abby’s first animal sounds was “quack quack.” I still don’t think I’ve ever heard her actually say “duck.” She just speaks their language.

You might believe that recycling is a good aspiration. But our worlds were turned upside down this summer when Ryan endured the Air Force Basic Military Training Program. For 8 weeks, we both feared the worst: that he would be recycled—that’s the term they use—and have to spend another week or more stuck in training. We were both very relieved when he graduated on time and our move proceeded without any major hitches.

We all got a special treat in early December when Susan, Ryan’s mom, came down for almost 2 weeks to spend time with all of us. An 8-day trip turned into 11 when the blizzard in Des Moines made travel practically impossible. I don’t think any of us minded having her here a little extra time, and the memories made going to Sea World, riding the miniature train, and reading book after book after book will last for a lifetime.

Lisa wasn’t the only ‘Lorimor’ girl who moved this summer. Emily moved into a beautiful historic home in Temple, TX, making the drive to see her at right about 3 hours. Heather and Marc-Andre crossed back over the Atlantic and now live on New York’s Long Island. Heidi stayed put at Bucknell in Pennsylvania, but Anthony finished up at Princeton and moved to Penn State, making their 2 jobs only about an hour apart. Ryan’s brother John is a junior at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. We look forward to seeing everyone in our families this summer. That’s the plan, anyway!

It was probably more fun for Lisa than it was for Abby, but she seemed to enjoy it, too. We enrolled her in a kiddie swim class at Urbana’s Indoor Pool. She became comfortable with getting her head wet and enjoyed some one-on-one time with mommy.

Maybe somebody filled me in on how life would change with kids and I wasn’t listening. I no longer watch the TV I’m interested in (which is fine) or listen to the music that I would choose. We tool around town listening mostly to a Bible Verses A to Z CD. It’s Stephen’s top pick, though we also rotate a B-I-N-G-O CD and Down by the Bay.

After settling in to our house and knowing that our trip at the end of December was imminent, Lisa set out to wean Abby. It was challenging but we made it. She’s increasing daily the number of foods and amount of it that she is willing to consume. All by herself with a spoon and fork, nonetheless. (We’re still working on that with Stephen.)

In the spring, Ryan fell off his bike, spraining his wrist. We were thankful that he didn’t break it and that it didn’t affect his eligibility to ship out for basic training in May. Abby felt the need to follow suit and fell on a single stair at a friend’s house in November. We hoped that it was just a simple twist, but the x-ray the following morning revealed a break in her first metatarsal (bone extending from ankle to big toe). She hobbled around in a cast for 3 weeks and at her check-up it had healed perfectly!

Our friend Yvette treated Lisa to an afternoon at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Many roller coaster rides were taken and a fun afternoon is always appreciated by a mom-of-toddlers.

Stephen’s music class has been the highlight of his fall. He and seven other three-year-old boys and girls, including one of his favorite people, Zane, dance, sing, and learn a bit while having a ton of fun.

Don’t expect another A to Z list in 2010. I’m sure the kids will be into something entirely different.

Tourists in Our Own Backyard

2009-12-17T22:47:00.004-06:00

While Susan was here, we were San Antonio tourists a little more than we normally are. We walked on the Riverwalk and enjoyed lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Stephen and Susan rode the zoo train while Abby and I stayed behind. (She'd get bored real quick and want to get off.)

Stephen showed Susan around Seaworld. They rode the roller coaster, saw Shamu, and greeted dolphins and horses. They also got to watch a Sesame Street production that we refer to at our house as "The Elmo Show." It was actually really cold that day, but we went anyway because it was our only chance. Abby went for the first couple of hours and rode the teacup ride once in the same cup as mommy.

Abby's New Kitchen

2009-12-17T22:39:00.003-06:00

Aunt Heather gave Abby a toy kitchen, which she loves playing with. Here are some pictures. Some activities we've shown her directly, but many she just imitates from watching me in the kitchen! Stephen loves it too, but we have to make sure he doesn't take over and push her out of the way.

Thanks, Heather!

Grandma Susan's Visit

2009-12-10T23:09:00.003-06:00

We bought Ryan's mom's tickets to come down to Texas a couple months ago and the day she was scheduled to leave was the day that Des Moines was practically shut down due to the blizzard. So she extended her trip and now is staying until Saturday! It's been so great for me to have adult company during the day and help with the kids. They love love love playing with grandma, and she really enjoys it, too.

I will have quite a few posts coming up to cover the various activities we've done, so you can look forward to:

Abby's new kitchen
Stephen's music class
the miniature train ride
Seaworld
The Riverwalk
Cooking with pears

For now, here are some fun photos we have shot over the past week.

Abby, right before we went to the hospital to get her cast removed.

Ryan just had to take this photo of the great San Antonio blizzard of 2009.

Giving Stephen a hair cut. Normally daddy does this.

Susan wanted to get a family photo. Guess which half of the family wanted to cooperate!

A new poster Stephen got from grandma. He asked if he could have it on his door.

Ryan is still in Georgia where he is filling in for an empty seat in another AF band. We miss him, but it's only a 3-day trip, so it's not too bad. Though as soon as he gets back, he is tied up with the local concerts. I'm going on Monday and can hardly wait!

And she walks!

2009-12-10T14:49:00.002-06:00

Without a giant pink cast on her foot, that is.

She's still limping a bit, trying to get used to her foot again. But the doc looked at today's x-ray and said she looks great!

Tweeting Stephen

2009-11-29T18:53:00.002-06:00

I have pondered starting a twitter feed for the funny and odd things that Stephen says. Many times in a day I laugh at something odd he says, and he isn't even intending to be funny. I think it's typical of a 3-year-old, and it cracks us up.

Today as we were heading to HEB, he was holding my hand in the parking lot and he said, "Uh-oh, Mama, I hear something." (The problem would be if he didn't hear anything.)

Then afterward we were sitting in the car, waiting to get onto Potranco, when he said "Mama, that B is broken! And then it made a star!" I didn't see what he was looking at right away, but when I did, I knew exactly what he meant. Check out the logo for this bank.

Fun Run!

2009-11-21T11:17:00.003-06:00

Check out that boot on her right foot!

Even with Abby's unfortunate fall and 1st metatarsal fracture the other day, we headed over to the base to participate in the youth center's Turkey Trot. I strapped Abby to my back and Stephen took off running. He ran for just over one lap and then walked the rest of the way. He and Ryan are in lap #5 in the photo below.

I let her try running at the very end. It didn't last very long.

Stephen's Giving a Music Lesson

2009-11-09T18:43:00.003-06:00

A whole 2 weeks since I've written something? I must have been busy getting our family update put together. Comment or send me an email if you didn't get the pdf file but would like it.

Tonight at dinner, Stephen taught us a little bit about what he's been learning.

(Abby is reading a tractor book in the background.)

Tidbits, Photo-Style

2009-10-22T15:33:00.006-05:00

I'm recovering from my nasty stomach bug yesterday (thanks, Abby) and am resting on the couch while the kids watch "letter movie."

I was scanning through my phone camera and thought some photos could capture small goings-on from the recent weeks.

Stephen taking a duck for a walk ... I'm guessing this belonged to my dad. It showed up in our garage somehow.

Abby trying her hand at juggling. While Stephen and Ryan were riding on Thomas, we went to some of the exhibits. A unicyclist was taking a break from riding and juggling, and he let Abby play with the bowling pins.

One morning our mailbox was tipped over like this. When Ryan replaced the box, he hadn't replaced the pole attaching it to the ground, and we knew it was on it's last leg. In fact, we found it had been held up by an old broomstick!! Now it's securely propped up with a solid pipe from Stephen and Ryan's favorite outing destination: Home Depot.

When we go to Central Market (a fancy grocery store near downtown), Stephen gets some good laughs from this "Magic Pop" machine. The machine pops out a light disk similar to a rice cake every few seconds.

Last Sunday our friend Yvette took me to Fiesta Texas for the day. It was such a nice break from the daily routines of diapers and kids' demands ... we rode almost every roller coaster as well as the swings, the ferris wheels and the bumper cars. I hope to be able to take Stephen soon. The height requirement for many rides is 42" and he is just there. He'd love being a passenger in the bumper cars.

Move Over, Emily Elizabeth

2009-10-17T16:09:00.001-05:00

Clifford has a new best friend.

Sitting Around Eating Bon-Bons

2009-10-13T13:59:00.002-05:00

No, really. I am.

This morning we were at the grocery store, and while standing in line, Stephen developed an aversion to the man standing in line behind us. He started telling me not to let that man look at him, to which I replied that if he didn't want that man to see him, he shouldn't look back.

Of course he did, time and time again, and I grew more and more embarrassed as he kept saying, "No he see Stephen!" Thankfully, the man was good-natured about it and knew that I was doing the best I could to keep the kids under control.

So finally we finished our checkout and started walking out of the store. Apparently, Stephen had charmed the man so much that the man bought him some candy and ran after us to give it to him.

Of course I let Stephen have some of it, but I wouldn't want him eating a whole bag of candy corn, so I need to eat some of it myself.

Oh the joys of a Wednesday

2009-09-30T16:34:00.002-05:00

Minus the fun-went-wrong trip to a park in town this morning, I would say Stephen had a mighty fine day.

We set out to a park that had walking trails that the website said were paved. But my definition of paved and their definition of paved did not agree. Pushing a double stroller that isn't meant for off-roading just didn't go very well. Stephen was pretty disappointed when I said we just needed to go back to the car and find another place to go. Maybe if I'd brought my carrier for Abby we could have just hiked for awhile, but I hadn't.

We stopped quickly in Hobby Lobby where Stephen bought some Thomas stickers all by himself, then we headed to the grocery store. He had won an "instant winner" sticker in the HEBuddy machine and I hoped this store would have the prizes (unlike the one by our house) so he could redeem it. Indeed they did! The CS guy showed him his options, and he picked out a beach ball. I blew it up for him and he's been quite pleased with his prize.

After a quick lunch at home, we headed up to music class. He gets so excited, and I hear from his teacher that he's very cooperative. (Well, good for her. Perhaps she can potty train him then ...)

While the kids were both resting, I read in my friend's blog that I had won a contest that she hosted last week. Thanks! I hope the kids enjoy the DVD we won.

Ryan will be playing at Oak Hills this weekend with a brass band. It'll be his first local gig--playing saxophone and not tuba, that is.

How Time Feels

2009-09-22T11:49:00.002-05:00

As of yesterday, Ryan had been done with basic training for as long as he had been in it. And let me tell you -- the past 2 months have gone by SO MUCH FASTER! Not that they were without their inconveniences. Living at TLF was BORING at times, and the packing/unpacking was far from being a breeze.

I like having my husband home for dinner every night. I don't mind all the extra laundry and dirty dishes. The kids love climbing on him and being plain old silly. Though Stephen still tells me every couple of days that he misses daddy.

Abby Eats an Oreo

2009-09-21T21:52:00.004-05:00

Abby tried an oreo for the first time last night, and Emily thought a certain brother-in-law would want to see the footage. I'm sharing it with the rest of the world, too ...

Bragging on my husband

2009-09-12T20:57:00.002-05:00

I think we can officially call him "Mr. Fix-It."

Now when we first moved in, he did some standard projects: changing the locks, hooking up the washer and dryer, and even fixing some faulty electrical outlets.

But now he's tackled some pretty intense projects.

First there was the drip in the shower. It was through that dilemma that we discovered that in San Antonio you can't turn your water off inside the house. There's a shut-off by the street that requires a special wrench. Once the water was off, he went to work disassembling the shower. That was enough to impress me, but he got to a part that wouldn't come off the way that it should. The Home Depot expert's advice? Figure out a way to get it off. Which Ryan then did--with sheer strength (thanks to basic training? ha ha). And then it was just a part or two later and our shower was in working order again.

Then there was the mailbox. Should be simple enough. Except the nuts and bolts were so rusted through that no traditional tool was going to get them off. Out came the steel chisel, and he stabbed at the rusted box for hours one evening. When he came in that night, I didn't even want to ask, but I did: Did you get the new mailbox on? "Yes," he replied. Phew.

And then the garage door. It was a manual one, which required quite a bit of manpower to open, and got stuck frequently. After looking around and reading, Ryan decided this was a project he could handle. After getting the garage door guys out last night to balance it (not a project for the do-it-yourselfer), he was ready. Today he and our friend Adam spent the day sweating in the garage and now we have a working garage door: It operates with a button! Many of you take this for granted!

See for yourself:

Music Class!

2009-09-09T14:41:00.002-05:00

Stephen had his first music class today. He was SO EXCITED that he didn't even want to eat lunch ... which made me nervous since the class was from 12:15 - 1:15. But he did fine. The teacher said he did great, and he seemed very excited on the ride home as well. Abby wasn't too happy that she couldn't stay. The keyboards and other instruments beckoned her to play. But we had a fun time exploring a new grocery store together. (Think lots of samples!!)

Bye-Bye Bigger Blue Drink

2009-09-07T15:32:00.003-05:00

It's the closest thing Stephen has to a pacifier or a blankie.

But it was nasty and beyond washable, even with a dishwasher. And the straw was chewed almost to oblivion.

It was time. We had prepped him all weekend and he knew it was happening. So after our free chicken sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A, we drove to the mall and threw it in a trash can outside. He had no problem doing it at all, and then proceeded as if I'd just asked him to throw away a carrot peel for me.

Then we went to the Disney Store and let him pick out a new cup with a straw. This one should be easier to clean!

Toy Storage

2009-09-03T23:39:00.004-05:00

This entry is mostly for my friends in Urbana to whom I posed the question: How do you store your kids' toys?

But I thought a few others would be interested in seeing part of our kitchen.

My parents found this Trofast component at Ikea the other day and picked it up for us. (For our anniversary they wanted to get us something for our house, and this was at the top of my list -- well, it was until our dryer broke, but that's a story for another day.)

Since we have a kitchen eating area as well as a dining room, I decided to make the eating area a play area so the kids could be right there while I'm working in the kitchen. It's about the only hard floor in the house, and Stephen needs it to be able to drive his trucks efficiently.

But lest you think these are the only toys we have, that's not the case. Stephen has quite a few in his room, which he has been enjoying immensely.

The Bright Side

2009-08-27T07:51:00.002-05:00

Apparently the title company our seller's realtor chose doesn't find it necessary to actually complete a home closing on the day that the signing begins ... so we wait. Our realtor was livid after the meeting. Yesterday was supposed to be the very latest that we got into the house. He as well as another realtor in his office and our mortgage loan officer are going to do everything in their power today to get some keys in our hands. In the meantime, the kids and I are hanging at the hotel, and Ryan decided to go to work. But ...

1. At least it's not basic training!!!
2. We can enjoy cable TV for a few more days
3. Being on base is convenient when we have only one car
4. Stephen loves sleeping on the pull-out bed
5. If we move on Saturday we can do it in the morning, making the heat more tolerable
6. A few more days of someone else making our bed and giving us clean towels
7. We still live near dozens of airplanes and busses
8. Abby wouldn't care if we lived in a tent or a castle ... "mama mama" is all she needs ...
9. Donuts for breakfast since we've eaten all the breakfast food we have in the last couple of days
10. At least nothing fell through, like the loan or the roof on the house :)

Amusing Ourselves

2009-08-19T17:18:00.004-05:00

What do you do with time in a new city before you've met many people? Well, you could go sit on an elephant.

Or you could sit on a couch and make funny faces.

Or you could sit on your parents' bed and play with crayons.

10 Glimpses Into Our Lives

2009-08-10T14:26:00.005-05:00

Our suite here at Temporary Lodging. The bed is Stephen's hide-a-bed which was out for his afternoon rest time. You can see Abby's bed in the corner behind the chairs. The bathroom and bedroom are to the right off the kitchen.

Leaving to run an errand at 4:58 p.m. while living on base proves to be a bad idea. All traffic comes to a halt while Revelry and The Star-Spangled Banner play over the loudspeaker at 5. On a positive note, Stephen loves hearing it and we have been going out on the balcony every day as soon as he hears it!
When I work out, it's called "exercise." When Ryan does, it's called "PT." There are several fitness facilities on base. On Saturday morning, I went to one while Ryan stayed at our room with the kids. What a shock it was to walk out of the weight room and see the gym lined with M-16s! There were about 50 Marines in there doing some sort of group activity.
When we first got here, everything seemed so BROWN. But I think I've gotten used to it. The grass ... the buildings ... even the couch and bedspread are brown ... the brightest colors are the beautiful peppers! There's a water restriction in San Antonio and I found out yesterday that we get to water our lawn in our new house on Wednesdays.
Thank goodness for a DVD player. Stephen watches Sound of Music almost every day, and knows some of the lines and songs by heart. Never mind that he thinks the captain sings "Eggo Bite." At least it amuses him.
On Saturday, both kids took late naps, so we knew bedtime wouldn't be at 8 like normal. I surfed the local online calendars, and we found a free movie in a park near downtown. It was fun to go there, lay a blanket on the lawn, an watch the first half hour of Night at the Museum with the kids. There was also popcorn and a "mist tent" that the kids LOVED.
Stephen tells me everyday, "Abby likes trucks. And I like cars. And buses. And little buses. Especially that bus ..." (pointing to the blood donor bus across the street from our room) At the blood donor building, there are signs outside for donors to line up according to blood type. I love it ... some things are really efficient around here. Other things, not so much.
I'm slowing learning Spanish. Last night while looking through Sunday's coupons, I learned that it's good to Ahorre when buying groceries!
You'd think it would be easy to find some of the grocery options that I had in little Urbana, IL. But it's not. I have been searching aisles for a bulk spice display like they have at the coop and at Strawberry Fields (both within walking distance from our house in Urbana). Finally, I found Sun Harvest today, but it's at least 20 minutes driving from our house. It'll be a special occasion store, I suppose.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to live near so many airplanes. Every time we drive by the graduation grounds (across the street from our living quarters), Stephen shouts out "look at that airplane" for each one we pass. And I know he's looking at each one of them because sometimes it varies: "ooh, look at that little airplane!"
Abby has become quite a helper around the house. Her new favorite thing to do is to throw things in the garbage. Diapers (no way we're doing cloth right now!), wrappers ... anything I ask her to take there ... she'll march right over, open the can, put her loot in there, close it, then walk back across the room grinning from ear to ear and clapping to congratulate herself. Right now I'm going to march both of my little helpers down the balcony to the laundry room to put clothes in the dryer ...

The Wisdom of a Three-Year-Old

2009-08-05T13:44:00.002-05:00

Stephen has been making some rather mature-sounding comments recently. I don't think it reflects his actual maturity; I think he is simply imitating us.

Before we left Urbana, we had some friends over to say goodbye. The house got rather loud and busy at one point, and Susan (my mother-in-law) was going upstairs to wash some windows for us. Stephen said he wanted to go with her, and he even wanted a rag so that HE could help with the cleaning. When they got up there, he said to her, "it sure is noisy down there." As if he doesn't ever run around screeching himself ...

Then today we were coming back to our suite at the Temporary Lodging here at Lackland. I have been keeping it pretty well picked up out of necessity (gotta wash your plates when you only have 4 and the toys need to be put away every night so the hide-a-bed can be set up in the living room), but there is some clutter because we have nowhere else to put everything! Just before getting to our room, he noticed that the cleaning lady was fixing up the vacated room next door. So he invited himself in and told her, "It's clean in here. I want to stay here." And he plopped down on a chair and sipped from his ubiquitous blue cup.

Last night, he got upset with me when I gave Ryan a hug. He's always been somewhat possessive of me (Stephen, that is), but I think with the transitions and the busy summer his attachment has increased. So we tried to explain to him that it was good for mommy and daddy to hug. He still didn't want me to, though. I said, "Can I hug Abby?" "No," was his reply. "Can I hug you?" Still, "no."

"Then who can mommy hug?" I said.

"The wall," said Stephen. "Mommy hug the wall." Where does he get this stuff?

Texas, Here We Are

2009-08-04T10:51:00.003-05:00

Much to share since I last posted ...

First and foremost, we now live in Texas!

Ryan finished Air Force Basic Military Training on July 24. We put an offer on a house on July 27, then flew back to Illinois to pack up our house for the big move. We packed the moving truck on the 30th (Ryan's 29th birthday) and then drove. Ryan and my dad in the Penske. My mom and I were in the minivan with the kids. We filled 2 storage units (1 regular and 1 climate-controlled for instruments) and are now living in temporary housing at Lackland Air Force Base. It's not anything to get too excited about, but we do have an equipped kitchen, DVD players, maid service, and FREE laundry. The offer on our house was accepted and assuming the inspection doesn't bring up major problems, we'll close by August 26 and be in before September.

We didn't stop in the same places during the drive so this photo is just of me and the kids. At this particular stop, Stephen found some sprinklers to run in. And rather than get upset with him for having a great time doing so, I just let him and then changed his clothes -- put him right back in his dirty but DRY clothes from the day before.

Ryan has some things to do this morning and has the car, so the kids and I were on our own. We went out in the morning, but it's already 84 and sunny. My intention was for Stephen to walk and Abby to be in the stroller. But Stephen got tired. Good thing I had the baby carrier, too. So Abby went on my back and Stephen went in the stroller. We got to the convenience store, but NOTHING on my list was there. I should have put wine, beer, and liquor on my list. There was plenty of that. But no bread, tortilla shells, grape juice, or a carrot peeler. So we walked back, and before we got to our housing, a car stopped and asked if they could give us a ride. I didn't think I looked that exhausted, but apparently I did ... or maybe folks driving through think that only trainees should have large packs on their backs. We were fine, but I might go to the storage unit and swap the single stroller for the double. It's bulkier, but I don't think Stephen's going to be making it on very long walks in this heat. Even with bigger blue drink :).

The Sense of Entitlement

2009-06-22T20:10:00.002-05:00

Just a few minutes ago, Stephen came into the kitchen crying. "Where's our garage?" he said.

I repeated back to him: "Our garage?"

"Yes," he said.

"Stephen, we don't have a garage."

The look of sorrow on his face was truly devastating.

I guess being at grandma and grandpa's house got him used to the fact that houses have garages. And our Little People toy house has a garage.

I guess we have a lot of work to do to help him understand what a "need" is.

Of Trucks, Somersaults, and Bathtime

2009-06-20T22:02:00.003-05:00

Stephen continues to crack us up with his drama and out-of-the-blue statements.

Today we were walking down a sidewalk and there was a truck blocking the sidewalk because it wasn't pulled up far enough in a driveway. Stephen said to me, "How are we EVER going to get around that truck?" (I showed him and we continued on our walk without a hitch.)

Then after his nap he wanted to do some somersaults. He just started doing them a week or so ago and he inevitably uses them as a stalling technique when he doesn't want to do something else. "I need do somersault," he tells me.

But then he asked me, "Does Great Grandma do somersaults?"

We still haven't gotten an answer.

Last week dad got Stephen to a pretty good point where he was enjoying taking baths again. But a couple days ago when I gave him one, he still didn't want me pouring the water over his head. (I've tried having him tilt his head back, holding a washcloth over his eyes, etc.) But then later in his bath he took a little toy cup and poured water on his own head.

So tonight I got smart. I shampooed his hair and then let him play for awhile. Then I said, "why don't you pour water on your head?" And he proceeded to fill up his little toy teacup and lift it up to drip down the side of his head. And behind him, I had a plastic cup full of water that I brought up from behind and gushed on him. He didn't mind at all because he thought he was doing it himself!

My Daughter's Quirks

2009-06-08T17:36:00.003-05:00

One of Abby's many funny practices is that she likes to eat food while carrying it around. And she wants to have the whole piece. For certain foods that is a problem, because we can't give her food she could choke on. But there are many things that aren't a problem.

For instance, this morning she was vehemently rejecting the bits of banana that we were giving her but still reaching for the peel itself. I let her have it, and she proceeded to walk around with it proudly, sucking occasionally on the top of the fruit.

Well, Stephen wanted a bite and she was happy to oblige!

This evening during dinner, she didn't want peas or raisins. And she didn't want the little pieces of mom's good Jarlsberg cheese. She wanted the big hunk of it, "to go," please.

I know I could just refuse to let her eat this way, but really it just backfires on me when she is extra-hungry at night and wakes repeatedly.

Before I had Abby, I didn't know why parts of toys ended up all over people's houses. Stephen pretty much plays with toys where he finds them. But as I type this, she is bringing me a windmill from a train set in the other room. Thanks, kiddo.

What have we done?

2009-06-01T09:51:00.002-05:00

Stephen is giving Abby a haircut with a fork.

Strange Ideas Out of the Mouths of Toddlers

2009-05-21T23:09:00.003-05:00

It used to be that we had fun listening to Stephen mispronounce words. And while he still gets some words wrong, he really does enunciate pretty well. Now he comes up with funny combinations and phrases, such as "Grandma Stephen."

Here are some gems from today. I really, truly do not know where he gets this stuff.

"Drip drop 110"

"Stephen eats daddy's knee!" (said at the dinner table, when he was supposed to be eating shepherd's pie)

"nomeeneemyneeosidodiaheeabby" (his fun name for abby, which he says exactly the same way every time)

----

I just went through his clothes and he has plenty of 3T and 4T summer clothes. He's going to be excited about all the trucks and animals on his t-shirts, especially the lobster one. We go say hi to them every time we are at the grocery store.

Saxophone Party

2009-05-19T09:23:00.003-05:00

After classes and juries were over, the classical saxophone professor invited her studio over to her house for an outdoor lunch/dinner (middle of the afternoon).

Before we left, we told Stephen we were going to a party. He said, "birthday!" But we said it was a saxophone party, not a birthday party. He didn't fight it at all, but happily got in the burley and we all biked over there (not a short ride; they're on the other side of town).

We enjoyed the party, especially the swing and slide they had in their backyard. And we went out in the paddleboat.

Then at one point Stephen was standing around the food table, enjoying the chips and crackers, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Happy birthday, Saxophone!" (I guess he didn't "get it" after all.)

The picture from the bike trailer is after BOTH of them had slept on the way home. Stephen woke up as soon as we stopped biking but Abby was a little more sleepy.

Poor Baby

2009-05-18T23:58:00.003-05:00

So we just got back from a long trip today and Abby has been having the toughest time going to sleep. We tried the usual ... letting her eat more, gas drops, rubbing her tummy ... and I was racking my brain trying to figure out what I would have eaten that is upsetting her so much. Ryan suggested that her body is sore from so much time in the carseat. Likely. But it hasn't bothered her other times. So why tonight?

I felt in her mouth to the place where her 8th tooth is supposed to be coming in any day ... she's had 7 teeth for about 3 months. And then I reached back a little further. A tooth is poking through. I reached back on the other side. Another one. Upon further investigation ... yep ... both are molars.

Ouch.

We treated her and she immediately calmed down. Did I go the "natural" or "medical" route? You, my dear blog readers, who hail from so many different camps, will never know ...

Abby Turned One

2009-05-18T23:03:00.002-05:00

Many of my readers are on facebook and would have seen plenty about Abby's 1st birthday. But for the sake of those who aren't, here's a quick rundown.

For Stephen's sake, we needed to have a party. And Grandma Leatherman was in town, so we decked the walls with streamers, baked a chocolate cake for all of the (5 adult) guests, and purchased Abby her very own cupcake from Cakes on Walnut. It even came in a cute box!!!

She enjoyed the festivities, and now has a drawer stuffed full of clothes and toys that make her brother jealous.

She's a fun kid (except when she doesn't want to go to sleep at night). She says a handful of words, unintelligible to anyone but her family. It goes a little bit like this:
"Do" means: do (she has to keep busy); dog; kitty; daddy
"Stee" means: Stephen
"Mamamamama" means: mommy; food
"shoo" means: shoe
"t" means: tent
"zhu" means: cheerio
... and that's all I can think of right now.

A Step Closer to Enlisting

2009-05-09T23:02:00.004-05:00

Before

and after

Chickpea Crackers

2009-04-27T22:28:00.003-05:00

The kids are [drumroll please] BOTH sleeping ... so I poured myself a bowl of cereal and topped it with some half frozen milk. Stephen must have been playing with the dial in the refrigerator. But I'm not upset. (See first sentence for reason why.)

Since I know some celiacs and some other people (such as the girl I babysit) who avoid wheat, I sometimes try my hand at gluten-free cooking. I know many common meals such as chili already are gluten-free; it's the things that almost always contain wheat that need the special twist to make them gluten-free.

A friend of mine posted a recipe for Chickpea crackers a couple weeks ago and I gave them a try. I'm sure the author enjoyed them but they just didn't cut it for me. I couldn't nail down what it was about them that I didn't care for but since I now have a bag full of chickpea flour (it's not very expensive and is most commonly found in the baking aisle with the selection of Bob's Red Mill flours) in the cupboard I wanted to give it another shot. Here's what I came up with. I was pretty happy with it! (And by posting it I can throw away the post-it note it's scribbled on.)

1/2 c chickpea flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
2 T ground flaxseed
1 T sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t oil
2-4 T water, enough to make it stick together but not too sticky!

Mix ingredients together to form a ball.
Using enough flour (this is where I cheated and used wheat, but you wouldn't have to) so as not to get the dough stuck on the rolling pin or the counter, roll the dough out.
Cut into squares with a knife.
Put on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Let cool on a cooling rack.

This doesn't make a huge batch but was a good snack for me and the kids yesterday.

Abby Tries More Food

2009-04-14T23:18:00.002-05:00

As Abby is approaching one year of age, I have begun introducing to her some of the staple foods that most of us enjoy on a daily basis. Because of the history of allergies in my family, I have been extra cautious and waited longer than most doctors recommend waiting to introduce the big three: wheat, dairy, and eggs. Of course there are other "big ones," such as peanuts and fish, but in my family WD&E were the culprits.

Saturday we started out with wheat. I made some whole wheat crackers that were very bland but also very simple. She has eaten some every day since then.

Today I delved into dairy. I probably will still wait quite awhile before doing straight milk, as that is not tolerated as well as cheese and yogurt. Besides, she still nurses a lot. So for lunch I mixed up some berries with some plain yogurt. (That's what this video shows.)

I think Saturday will be the egg day, since we have friends visiting and I'll be making a casserole for them.

And while she isn't having any major reactions such as ezcema or hives, I must say I find the wheat to be somewhat suspect. Her nose has been running and I don't think she's sick at all. I'll give it a couple days before I decide to eliminate it again. I hope for her sake that she doesn't have to be on a special diet. But then again, there are worse things, and it would probably help her to eat healthier.

Little Boys' Dreams Do Come True

2009-04-05T15:54:00.003-05:00

We had such a busy day yesterday. And not just lots to do. There was a lot going on all at once that I knew would be a lot of fun for Stephen. It all started out with a birthday party. Stephen has officially "discovered" that birthday parties are the BEST! Cake and toys and kids ... what's not to love about that? At this party, the kids made individual pizzas and then did some songs/activities. Eating the pizzas and the cake was great fun, too.

After that, we drove over to the Champaign Public Library where Steve Roslonek was giving a free concert. Stephen recognized him from his Steve Songs segment between SuperWhy and Clifford. His favorite song is about shapes: "Line line circle circle square square square square triangle triangle ..." And thankfully Steve saw to it that that song was performed for the crowd. (Our friend Nadia even got to help him with the motions!!) We also saw SuperWhy who was quite large. Sadly, Alpha Pig didn't make it; he is Stephen's favorite!

Even though Stephen had done a lot at that point, I thought he might enjoy seeing some of the animals at the Vet Med school's open house. The crowds were a little too intense for him, so we ended up making a bunny ears hat and then running around the pen with the obedience dogs.

After that, I made him rest by watching a movie. We had some people over for a discussion last night and the boy zonked out at 7:30 (early for him; he goes to bed between 8 and 9).

Today has been a magnificent day for me, despite the rainy weather. I slept in and Ryan got up with Stephen. Then I went to a coffee shop by myself for an hour and a half. Now I'm home but BOTH kids are sleeping and that's been the case for over an hour. It'll be nice with Abby and Stephen's naps (or Stephen's rest time when he doesn't nap) coincide all the time.

Oh, and speaking of little boys' dreams ... some people reading this might like to know that I heard Stephen saying "how bout legos, grandpa?" when he was going to sleep last night ...

Des Moines Update

2009-03-30T15:18:00.004-05:00

I'd say we did pretty well getting all the kids in the picture, even though they aren't all smiling. This was at Rita's house on Friday night. We had a little pizza party, and it was here that Stephen discovered his love of Cheetos.

I wanted to include this one, just to show off Abby's lovely hair and because Anna was so excited to be holding her little buddy.

Here are Abby and Addie, who is 2.5 months younger. They were both quite social when we got together to play on Friday morning.

Stephen was pretty excited to visit "Uncle" Peter at his pharmacy in Adair.

Those who are my friends on Facebook might have known that Grandma Susan got us in (or out, depending on how you look at it) to see the helicopter at Methodist Hospital.

Stephen even got to sit in the pilot's seat!

It was a wonderful week, seeing friends and family. It always goes by too quickly. In other news, Ryan sprained his wrist the Friday before we left. We're thankful that it doesn't seem to be broken. (We did have an x-ray done and nothing showed up.) We're currently in the middle of making sure that our home is a safe place for all of us to be. We had some lead contamination that seems to have been taken care of, and now we're wondering if the glaze on the bathtub that was supposed to seal in the lead is causing its own problems. It's disconcerting to feel like my own house is poisoning our children.

"__________, Come over!"

2009-03-22T12:47:00.002-05:00

Stephen has decreed that the following people need to come over to our house:

Gina
Maya
Phoena
John and Jackie
Obama
Aunt Sherry

Stephen is also very sad that we aren't currently getting in the car to go to grandma and grandpa's house. But how could we? We're waiting for friends to come visit us . . .

Toddler Revenge and Ingenuity

2009-03-05T15:33:00.002-06:00

Yesterday when we were taking a walk, soaking in the glorious weather, a man walked past us and teased Stephen a little bit for wearing a Hawkeyes jacket. Understandable--we do live in Illini territory!

Not to be intimidated, Stephen announced to me right after he passed us, "Follow her!" (tee hee - last time he'll mess with my kid!)

Stephen likes watching tractor clips on youtube, and this is one he's been asking for a lot recently. (It's not really worth watching unless you like watching tractors; it's of a tractor driving on its rear wheels.)

Keeping that in mind, this is what I saw him pushing this across the floor this morning. (Who taught him how to do that?!?)

Highlights and Lowlights

2009-02-27T23:07:00.005-06:00

The kids and I are back from a 6-day trip to Texas to see my parents and to give Ryan some time to really work on his school and air force stuff. I'm glad we were able to go, but the trip was not without its challenges. I'll mention here some good and some less-than-desirable circumstances.

On the way there, Stephen and Abby were delightful travel companions. On our 2nd flight, the young woman next to us was sleeping almost the whole time. As we were getting ready to deplane, Stephen noticed that she still had her eyes closed. He started pointing at her frantically: "WAKE! WAKE! WAKE!" I promised him that I'd make sure she got off the plane, too, but at that point she was already smiling at him. Stephen was so excited when he saw mom, dad, and Emily waiting for us that he sped up from his casual stroll to an all-out run to greet them.

We got to have lunch at the restaurant where Emily works. It was a busy time for them, so she was pretty busy, and Stephen didn't understand why he couldn't have "Tantie Em" all to himself.

I was given a few names of women to connect with in San Antonio (hi Bethany and Julie and Sherri) ... and that was really nice as we weren't really there to be tourists but rather to get a feel for what the locals do.

While I'm glad we got to go to San Antonio for the day, it was a little overwhelming for me. The hour-long wait at the visitor center to get onto the base was tiring and the city is too big to just drive around a few areas where we might want to live.

Wednesday when mom and I got back from toy shopping, Stephen was resting on the couch with a fever. He continued to get sicker and sicker and we finally took him to the minute clinic at the CVS down the street. We did that mostly so they could take a look at his ears to see if he would be able to handle the airplane ride today. She heard his wheezing and sent us immediately to urgent care. "Urgent care" was not a good name for this place, as we waited 2.5 hours to see a doctor and get a prescription for a sinus infection. The medicine did its work and Stephen is much better today!

We celebrated Emily's 25th birthday with a giant cookie. Stephen sort of ruined the little bit of surprise it would have been; when she walked in the house he said, "CANDLES!"

I mentionned the toy shopping before. Mom and I found a great deal on toy train track (all you could fit in a gallon ziploc for $5!) and I got a magnetic calendar that I won't use for awhile. We also found the pushtoy for Abby that she LOVES!

MAMACITAS!

Today was pretty much a nightmare at the airports. We flew Austin-Chicago-Indianapolis and then drove home. Stephen hardly ever wants to sit in the stroller, and that's fine when we aren't in a hurry and when he is being cooperative and staying close to me. After being sick Wednesday and Thursday, he was still feeling rather weak and would really have prefered to sit on the couch with mommy watching Thomas the Tank Engine. So hooray for being home with 2 sleeping kids :).

Mamacita's

2009-02-26T00:16:00.002-06:00

My one request, food-wise, was that we eat at a Mexican place while the kids and I were visiting mom and dad in Texas. So this was on our way home from San Antonio yesterday and it was sure great! We also enjoyed a nice lunch at The Cove and took a quick tour of Lackland AFB, where Ryan will be working sometime later this year.

Abby got a new push toy today and loved it. Mom has a video of it up on YouTube.

I would post more, but I'm anticipating a rough night with a little boy with a fever and a girl who gets me up a lot anyway.

Not Just Another Fire Station

2009-02-15T23:36:00.004-06:00

No, this is a fire station made of recyclables! When Carolyn and Susan were here this weekend, we put this together during naps and after bedtime. The station is made of cereal boxes, and the truck is made of an egg carton.

Speaking of egg cartons, we picked up some eggs at Meijer tonight, and soon afterwards, I asked Stephen to put a jar of peanut butter in the cart. Oops! Right on top of the eggs. I checked, and 2 eggs were broken in a significant way. Long story short, I got a dozen solid eggs and Meijer didn't make me pay for the broken ones. That was nice.

You Know You're a Mother When ...

2009-02-12T15:16:00.002-06:00

... you think "living on the edge" means going to the library without a diaper bag.

This is precisely what I did a couple of hours ago.

And I'm sure that you're now thinking I'm going to tell you a thrilling poop story. But I'm not. It was fine. There were no catastrophes.

But we did stumble upon a birthday party for Abraham Lincoln, complete with cake and punch! Ever since going to the museum a few weeks ago, Stephen has noticed Abe's picture just about everywhere. And since he's on the Illinois license plate, we hear about dear ol' Abe quite a bit.

And now we're waiting for Susan and Carolyn to arrive. It'll be a little later than they expected since Obama decided to go to Peoria when they were driving through.

Lest You Think Abby Is Adopted ...

2009-02-07T22:48:00.003-06:00

My dad has been having fun digitizing old slides.

Here are two: One is of my sister Emily when she's about a year old. The other is of my dad (on the right) and his twin brother sitting on their grandparents' laps.

Show and Tell

2009-02-06T14:24:00.003-06:00

One of the ways I've been able to stay connected to adults while I'm home with kids all day is through reading blogs. Some of my favorites are Keeper of the Home and Not Always Right. It doesn't require me to have more than one hand free--essential with a baby!

Yesterday I discovered a new feature of Google Reader.

I can "share" articles and blog entries that I find interesting and want to share with other people. I can even make comments next to them (without commenting on the blog itself). One of the ways to do this is through a website that anyone can access. So here it is. Check it as often as you want; I'm not making any promises to update it but if I do it's something I think is worth reading!

Favorite Things

2009-02-05T13:33:00.002-06:00

My friend L posted today about what we can be happy about in February. Since the only things I can really add to her list are that grandma and Aunt Care are coming next weekend and the kids and I are going to Texas later in the month, I decided to write a list of some of our current favorite things.

Abby's favorite place to hang out
Under the table, where, despite my best attempts at frequent sweeping, she finds bits of food to eat

My favorite new treat
Stroopwafel Cookie. Bethany brought me a bag from Germany last week. And I hope my food coop friends want to order some, too, so we can buy a whole case ...

Ryan's favorite thing to not have to do on Wednesday night
A paper for musicology

Stephen's favorite pastime at the library
Reading books (he just realized they were there last night?!?!)

Abby's favorite new toy
An empty bottle of dried oregano

Stephen's favorite thing to hand me in the middle of the night
a booger

Stephen's favorite CD
Veggie Tales Sing-a-long, which he refers to as "MADE-O" (tomato)

Ryan's favorite hot chocolate
After trying many types, he still claims that nothing compares to Friedrich's in Des Moines

Stephen's favorite nonsense word
Alort

My favorite laundry soap
Charlie's. Some friends and I just ordered a 5 gallon bucket and are splitting it up 13 ways.

Big or Little?

2009-02-04T23:42:00.000-06:00

We noticed that Stephen was distinguishing between big and little things ... He has big trucks and little trucks ... in the picture of hot air balloons he will point out the little balloons and the big balloons and do so correctly.

But then this is how our conversation went this morning:

Me: "Is Abby big or little?"

Stephen: "Little."

Ryan: "Is mommy big or little?"

Stephen: "Little."

Me: "Is daddy big or little?"

Stephen: "Little."

Me: "Is Stephen big or little?"

Stephen: "Big."

There Are Things Children Learn from Their Parents

2009-02-04T15:00:00.003-06:00

Stephen started hugging Abby and then he started kissing her on the lips. She was a willing participant in his display of affection. I ran to get the camera but the imitating of me and Ryan was over. Here you'll see a more appropriate, brother-and-sister sort of interaction.

Swim Lessons

2009-01-31T14:43:00.002-06:00

A month ago I decided to sign Abby up for swim lessons at the same pool where I swam when I was expecting her. Today was the 1st day. I can't say she loved it, but she definitely did get used to the water and even seemed to improve over the course of the half hour that we were there.

With our upcoming move to Texas, we think it's pretty essential that the kids get used to water soon. There'll be no better way to cool off in the hot summer!

Ryan has been taking Stephen to the campus pool on the weekends during their family hours. Stephen isn't loving it either, but he gets better each time. We'll just need to keep it up for both kids. And we should have more opportunities this summer.

Eric and Bethany ... I mean Dr. and Mrs. ... Landquist left today to go back to Germany. It was great to have them here for a couple days but it did feel like a whirlwind for them. Eric's defense went well and he deposited the very next day.

Abby had her 9-month checkup this week and checked out just fine. She's slowing down in her growth - which is a FINE thing - just different from her brother who continues to be really tall for his age. She's hitting gross motor milestones much faster than he is. She's very motivated and has begun standing without support as well as cruising in the past week.

Be on the Lookout for Paint-With-Water

2009-01-28T20:46:00.005-06:00

I cannot find Paint with Water books! I think Stephen would enjoy it. Anyone know where you can get these anymore? It seems they were all over when I was little, wherever coloring books can be found. I guess I can get them online, but I was thinking a little closer to home ...

But since we could not find them, we got some Play-doh.

And Abby needed a little snuggle time after I got out the very scary vacuum cleaner.

Duh-scovery

2009-01-25T13:47:00.002-06:00

Ryan and I both wear contacts.

Though not the same prescription strength.

But we both have identical prescriptions for our own eyes, making it unnecessary to store them in the designated "L" and "R" sides of the contact case.

Today I realized: Left, Right, Lisa, Ryan. WOW!

A simple switch of the lids, and we now have personalized contact cases. Beautiful.

Lincoln Museum

2009-01-21T14:29:00.004-06:00

One of the things we've wanted to do while living in this area was visit the Lincoln Museum in Springfield. It would have been easier without the kids, but the day we thought would be good to do it did not jive with grandmas or grandpas being in town. So on Sunday we took off.

The museum itself isn't huge, but the exhibits are very well done. There are 2 movies, and we watched one of them. Even Stephen sat through it--it was only 10 minutes long.

Most of it was "no photography allowed," so I will show you some from the kid's area as well as the atrium.

Simple Things

2009-01-16T07:36:00.002-06:00

It's the simple things in life that sometimes go unmentioned, but down the road I wonder why I never said them before.

So here, in this blog world, let me just say that I really appreciate it when I can pull up to a sidewalk at a store and walk in without having to cross the parking lot. Maybe a civil engineer will read this and design a lot with mothers like me in mind. For their sake and mine, thank you! I have discovered, especially with all the snow recently, that it makes getting in and out of a store so much easier! Even at our Schnucks down the street, I will park farther away down the strip mall just so we don't have to cross the parking lot. And here's a 2nd best option for the store's cart-pushers: when you take the carts inside, leave 1 or 2 in the corral for mothers to park next to. I'm impressed by certain workers' eagerness, but I have seen them snatch away the last cart in the lot just as I'm pulling in and it's quite devastating (at the time, anyway).

I have recently started making my own yogurt. I've known it was possible, but after 1 failed attempt I didn't know if I wanted to try again. Then I ran across a way to make it in the crockpot and WOW! It's so easy and makes it so affordable to have smoothies ("moobies") on a daily basis. At the moment I am cooking pancakes that have yogurt in them instead of milk and I think the fam is going to like them.

The Big News: A Move to San Antonio, Texas

2009-01-11T14:02:00.005-06:00

Here is the news that we've been waiting to share, simply because we wanted to decide for sure if we were going to do it! Ryan will accept a saxophone position with the Air Force Band of the West and we'll be moving to San Antonio this summer. Now some of you are blog scanners and that's all you needed to know. For those of you with more questions, I'll try to address the FAQs.

Does he have to go through basic training?
Yes. It's 8 1/2 weeks, and it will be after this semester of school. No, we don't get to see him for that time, but we will be able to talk on the phone a few times.

What is the commitment?
We give them a 4-year commitment. Chances are that we'll be in San Antonio that whole time.

Will he have to travel/go overseas?
Yes, he will have to travel. The region he tours is Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The projections are that there will be 6 tours a year, each lasting 7 - 10 days. There is a small chance he would be deployed, but it would be to play the saxophone with his ensemble. We're prepared to cross that bridge if necessary.

Will we live on base?
Probably not. About 90% of the band members live off base, and we're leaning towards doing the same.

Isn't that close to Emily?
Yes. She lives in Salado, which is about 2 hours away. My parents recently bought a home in Georgetown, which is even closer -- just north of Austin.

What are Lisa and the kids going to do while Ryan is in training?
Good question. Of course I don't want to alone with the kids that whole time. But I also want to keep life somewhat normal for Stephen and Abby's sakes. I'll probably do some combination of traveling to see family and friends as well as staying in Urbana.

What will Ryan's rank be?
He'll enter as an E-3 Airmen 1st Class. (I'm not totally sure what that means, but I'm sure we'll find out.)

What is the high in San Antonio for tomorrow?
67

What is the high in Urbana for tomorrow?
32

And now I will leave you with a photo of Abby clapping and Stephen playing his own version of Twister.

What We Did to Kick Off 2009

2009-01-09T15:03:00.004-06:00

We traveled to Des Moines on January 1, right after Ryan played a new year's eve gig in Bloomington. (Side note: I knew when I married Ryan that December 31 would be a work day for at least one of us. I'd performed in a concert almost every December 31 since joining the symphony and he--a jazz musician--would be even more in demand. So far here is the rundown: Year 1 - in Montana, and Ryan was battling a stomach bug. Yuck. Year 2 - sitting in a hotel room with Stephen while Ryan performs in Oskaloosa, IA. Year 3 - sitting at home while Ryan drives a limo. Year 4 - trying to keep happy Abby quiet in the same room as sleeping Stephen in Bloomington.)

We got together with the Adair, IA, family on the 2nd. Here are Grandma and Grandpa Fay with all the grandkids and great-grandkids.

Aunt Care had a great time with both kids. Here she is with Abby, whose hair continues to make me laugh. It'll lie down on her head one of these days.

Here is the gingerbread house that Ryan and I assembled and then Stephen and Susan finished decorating. The cookies tasted NASTY but Stephen liked them anyway.

These photos are from my trip to Marshalltown to visit the Snodgrasses. Nick and Xander and Abby had a good time, though all 3 kids are still more interested in making sure they know where mommy is than they are in playing with each other.

Ryan went to San Antonio to audition for a job. More TKTK.

I Hope Someone Tells Me This Is a Hoax

2009-01-08T14:48:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty skeptical of most email forwards I get or shocking declarations of drastic changes in laws or policies. I usually check on snopes.com to see if there's any validity to the claims, and am usually alerted to where the scam or story began.

But this one seems to be true.

It sounds like a good idea. Test children's products (including books, clothing, and toys) for lead and keep the tainted items off the market. I don't want my baby having lead poisoning and I am careful about what she puts in her mouth because of that. I know someone personally who deals with lead poisoning from paint chips she ate and it has profoundly impacted her life.

But this new law that was supposedly signed into effect in August of 2008 will cause all retailers to pull toys, clothing, and books off the shelf if they haven't been tested for lead by an independent 3rd party. And it's not as simple as sending a lead-detecting police dog through the store. Some places claim it can cost $500 per item to be tested for lead. It would include consignment stores and thrift stores.

Here are some links that I've run across.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-thrift2-2009jan02,0,2083247.story
http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.HTML

And a website to try to do something about it:
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

Something tells me that this just isn't going to happen.

San Antonio

2009-01-03T23:15:00.002-06:00

Me: Where did daddy go?

Stephen: airplane

Me: Where is he going?

Stephen: Texas

Me: What is he doing there?

Stephen: [saxo]phone

Yep, he hit it right on the nose. Ryan made it swiftly and safely to San Antonio and he'll be back to Des Moines next Tuesday. Stephen will have an overnight (alone) with grandma and grandpa while Abby and I head to Marshalltown to visit some friends.

Laser Tag

2008-12-26T22:45:00.003-06:00

Rather than showing you my bloody knee from repeated kneeling while hiding from the other team, here's a photo of my husband who came in 1st place in the first game. We played while we were all in town, and Rollie, Sandi, and Johnny played, too.

Then we came back to mom and dad's house and ate our much-anticipated lasagne dinner in celebration of dad's 60th birthday.

Daddy Is Done

2008-12-20T11:14:00.002-06:00

This is what Ryan came home to on Thursday. He had a final presentation and a lesson. He was planning on subbing on Friday but then schools were canceled.

December Happenings

2008-12-17T13:34:00.002-06:00

My mom saved a Raggedy Ann outfit that I wore when I was a baby, and now it fits Abby! It was a hit at our mom's group this morning.

Stephen wasn't sick, but he was definitely tired after a late night the other night coming back from Plainfield. We had another late night yesterday at a saxophone party (late for him anyway - it was almost 10 when we left).

Abby is forming some strong opinions about food and even recognizes some things. She gobbled up her chicken but wouldn't eat more than a couple bites of potato. But she did like the small strands of spaghetti squash that I put in her mouth (as seen here in the photo). At least she likes it more than Spencer does :)!

Watch Out World! Abby Has Something to Say . . .

2008-12-10T23:01:00.003-06:00

I wanted to make sure she wasn't just babbling, so I asked Heidi if it counts as her first word ... Abby has been saying "dadat" (or variations similar) to her daddy for a couple days now, and she sure does seem to know what it means!

Here is a shot of Abby taking after her great-grandpa Lindstrom and reading on the toilet. And Stephen demonstrating how to make gingerbread cookies (doesn't he look so bored?).

Picking Up the Tab

2008-12-05T13:52:00.003-06:00

Here is Stephen picking up the tab at lunch today. He was eager to do so as soon as the little black book came with the bill. And he was financially capable of doing so because the price was FREE! We got a $10 gift certificate from Lone Star in the mail last week and I figured he and I could eat lunch when we were in that area. He had chicken strips off the kids' menu and I ordered a cup of chili. With the peanuts and bread they bring, we both ate plenty! I did leave the server a good tip, though.

Ryan's semester is drawing to a close. It'll still be another week or so until he's done, but the biggest project was due today, and is spilling a little bit into today. And a master class tomorrow has had him practicing quite a bit.

Visits with family

2008-12-01T10:35:00.002-06:00

Sunday Craft Time

2008-12-01T10:09:00.003-06:00

I've been wanting to make stuffed grape leaves for awhile--don't ask me why--but I knew it was a pretty involved process. And when I haven't done something before, I tend to look at the recipe every 10 seconds. In other words, I don't attempt projects like this when home with the kids while Ryan is in school. So dad and I got to work when the kiddos were sleeping.

After soaking the grape leaves to remove excess salt, we patted them all dry. We filled them with a mixture of lamb, rice, allspice, and cinnamon. They then simmered for an hour.

We really enjoyed eating them for dinner!

First Thanksgivings!

2008-11-27T18:02:00.004-06:00

We had 5 people in our home today who were eating Thanksgiving dinner for the first time! I got photos of all of them--just not together. In addition to Ryan's immediate family and Grandma Leatherman, we had a friend from Turkey and 3 from Korea.

Here was the menu (Have I mentioned I really do like cooking? It's finding the time to do it that proves to be challenging.):

Appetizers:

Vegetable Tray with AE dip
Chips and Salsa

Dinner:

Turkey with Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing (Grandpa Leatherman's recipe)
Mashed Potatoes a la Grandma Leatherman
Black Bean Couscous Salad
Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce
Rolls

Dessert:

Pumpkin Pie (Thanks Susan!)
Chocolate Cake from last night

We really enjoyed introducing the turkey and stuffing to our friends from abroad. It's also been a beautiful day, and Stephen has been to the park and the guys even played football in the street in front of the house.

Piano Lesson

2008-11-27T17:23:00.001-06:00

I was fortunate enough to capture Abby's first piano lesson.

For Heidi and Anthony

2008-11-27T14:56:00.000-06:00

... and anyone else who is interested!

KFC Family Traditions

Happy Birthday Great Grandma

2008-11-26T21:08:00.004-06:00

Great Grandma Leatherman is joining us for Thanksgiving here in Urbana. We decided to celebrate her birthday (which was last week) before the festivities tomorrow. So I whipped up this chocolate cake, which was pretty disastrous at times, but tasted spectacular. Stephen helped me decorate it with M&Ms--his personal favorite.

Now we have Dave, Sue, and John also in for a few days, and we're looking forward to a feast tomorrow and time that we can all spend together.

Fun with Leaves

2008-11-23T16:24:00.001-06:00

Naptime Chores

2008-11-21T15:25:00.002-06:00

Me to Abby: If you aren't going to take a good afternoon nap, then you're going to help in the kitchen.

A Slice of Life

2008-11-18T14:57:00.004-06:00

Some of you have commented that you like knowing a little about what our daily life is like here. So here is what we are doing right now.

I am trying to get a little time on the computer to check email, look for a few things online, etc. Abby took an earlier nap because she was exhausted by our outing this morning, so now she's awake and sitting on the floor next to me, chewing on a little Jamaican purse. Stephen is up in his room where he is supposed to be going to sleep. Naps are becoming an occasional occurrence, though I don't think he's anywhere near ready to be done with some alone, quiet time in the afternoon. He has already yelled down to me: "TOE!! TOE!!" This is what he says when he needs me to put the blanket on him again. Apparently, his toe is not covered. Then, I usually hear him repeating a certain word over and over again; presumably he is learning to say it better. Today it was Eleanor. I heard: "Eleanor. Nor. Nor. Nor. Eleanor. Nor ..." (you get the picture)

A Day of Firsts

2008-11-18T00:17:00.002-06:00

Probably the most significant "first" that happened today was Abby crawling. Now, don't get any pictures in your mind of her getting up on all fours and making a run for the border. She generally goes backwards instead of forward, and usually she gets so frustrated that she isn't going anywhere that she just rolls onto her back and cries for me to come and get her. But she is doing a very earnest army crawl, and I'll be curious to see how many days I have before she's zooming across the room. We figured she'd crawl sooner than her not-in-any-hurry brother, who crawled at 11 months!

Stephen's firsts include pretending to feed Abby's baby doll. I saw him doing it and it was all I could do to not laugh out loud. I asked him what he was doing and he just said, "milk!" I told him that he was being very nice to Abby's baby. My mom said it's good: he's thinking of someone else's needs. (I happen to think he's also imitating mommy.) Another bit of unusual behavior from him was that he asked to go to bed tonight. He put his head on a pile of laundry in the living room, about half an hour before I was going to put him to bed. He said, "sleepy." Sure enough, he went right to sleep when I put him down.

What's wrong with this picture?

2008-11-15T23:57:00.001-06:00

Two Peas in a Pod

2008-11-13T23:19:00.003-06:00

Stephen has loved being shoved around in the laundry basket for a long time now. When my parents were here the other day, he would get in and ask grandpa and grandma to push him. I was holding Abby and she started giggling at him, and then was lunging as if she wanted to get in, too. Figuring it was safe enough since she can sit on her own now, I plopped her down next to him. She loved it! She is growing and changing so much and it's fun and more difficult at the same time. She is a typical kid in that she might have 20 things she can play with on the floor around her, and she'll want the 1 toy of Stephen's that she's not supposed to have.

Stephen has been trying to figure out what it is that Ryan really does during the day. He throws words out when Ryan leaves: "teacher" "saxophone" "truck" "keyboard" "school" "bike." And I explain to him what daddy is going to be doing while he is gone.

The Cold

2008-11-09T21:27:00.005-06:00

It's finally getting cold here. The furnace has kicked on; the mittens and hats have come out of the winter bin; and we can't lazily leave the front door open all the time!

Ryan was with me when we made our first bundled outing. The kids don't need mittens and hats just from the house to the car, but we were walking downtown and I knew it would just be too chilly. We had to go to Heel to Toe to get some Birkenstocks for me to help with my new predicament: plantar fasciitis.

Ryan was up in Chicago today to hear his professor perform. But he's back and working on his project that's due this week. The kids and I managed just fine, thanks to leftovers, the Urbana Library, and a frozen pizza.

Things That Are, and Are Not, Hilarious

2008-11-05T17:41:00.003-06:00

Stephen has recently been categorizing. I think he gets this from his grandfather. My dad is great at Scattergories. I think he has every vocabulary word in his head organized alphabetically. So when the megadie rolls an "L" then you can bet you'll see leprechaun, Lincoln Logs, La Leche League, Latvia, and many more clever vocab on his answer sheet. He just discards every word in his brain that doesn't start with L and figures out the answers lickety split.

So back to Stephen. He is realizing that many words sound alike but are actually different. The other day I overheard him saying slowly, over and over again: "Salsa. Sausage. Sauce." Then today I told him something was "awesome." He looked at me and said, "Office. Awesome." (Say them out loud. They do sound alike.) Then he started laughing hysterically. Now I realize that is not actually funny. But when your 2-year-old thinks it is, then the laughter is contagious. We both had a good laugh over those 2 words this morning.

It's been a rough switch over to daylight savings time. This is the part that is not hilarious. Abby has adapted just fine, but Stephen's still on the old schedule. That just means we stay up late and get up early. And what it also has meant is that Stephen hasn't been getting nearly enough sleep and has thus been pretty difficult at times. It would suffice to say that I've been learning I need to have more patience.

Treasures

2008-10-31T14:54:00.003-05:00

Abby got her first doll today! It's a bitty baby from the American Girl company. My mom gave it to her and I was excited when it showed up on the front porch. So far she has enjoyed exploring its face.

I was also excited about the treasure we found while walking home from a friends' house this morning.

We are responsible for our own lawn care, but have no shed or garage for keeping a lawnmower. So even though it's fairly simple to track down a free or cheap push mower, we couldn't get one because we'd need to keep it in the basement. We've been looking without success for a used reel mower. They're over $100 new and we're probably only going to be here 1 or 2 years.

So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when we were walking home and I saw one for free by the side of the road.

The only problem was that I wasn't exactly close to home and I was also pushing a double stroller.

So (silly-looking) we went charging the rest of the way home. Pushing the stroller with one hand and pulling the new mower with the other.

The stay-at-home dads I met on the way told me it was a good mower and that it was a good find. (Though, come to think of it, neither of them offered to help me get home. Not everyone is like my husband and my dad.)

We're looking forward to a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Leatherman later today.

Go Hawkeyes!

Haircut and cameratime

2008-10-28T22:44:00.003-05:00

We gave Stephen a haircut tonight. I also let him take his first picture.

Simplifying Ideas from Two Years of Parenting

2008-10-25T14:15:00.002-05:00

Recently I've been reading some (emphasis on the "some" because I don't really have much time!) blogs I've run across to get ideas and see what some others are learning on their journeys. One of the more informative, down-to-earth, and encouraging ones I've run across is Keeper of the Home. On Saturdays, she invites others to post entries on their blogs about how they are simplifying their lives via something called Living Simple Saturdays, so I'm giving it a shot. I have definitely learned some things in these last 2 years and imagine if you ask me in 10 that I'll have an arsenal of many more!

1. A binder with essential information I posted about the Brain-in-a-Binder awhile ago, and I've adapted it to suit me. It just doesn't work for me to put everything in there, but what I have used it for has been great. It contains our commonly-used recipes, birthdays, and phone numbers.

2. Kids' clothes in the main living area We stumbled upon this one accidentally. We live in a small house, about the size of a 3-bedroom apartment. When moving in, we found that my big dresser wouldn't fit upstairs where 2 of the bedrooms are (the 2 we use as bedrooms), so into the dining room it went. I love it! Diapers and changes of clothes for 6-month-old Abby and 2-year-old Stephen right at my fingertips.

3. Trading meals with another family I'm sad to say this isn't happening right now but I'm always open if the right situation opens up! All of last year - right up until Abby was born in April - we cooked 6 nights a week. On Tuesdays, I had the evening off and our friends cooked for us and them. Then on Thursday it was our turn to cook for both families. It worked well because we both had a family of 3, and their son is the same age as ours, so picky-toddler issues were understood by both of us. We set some ground rules. It was okay to say we just couldn't do it if it was going to cause more stress. We only rarely cooked dessert. We decided not to try to "impress" each other and to just cook what we would normally cook.

4. A comfortable baby carrier This was nice to have for Stephen but it is essential with Abby. I do dishes, grocery shop, cook, and walk, all with my baby snuggled right up next to me. She still usually is on the front but I've recently started putting her on my back and that makes things even easier. I'll just link to Sue's post on this because she covered the bases.

Happy 'Birthday' Abby

2008-10-24T17:30:00.004-05:00

Abby is 6 months old today!

What a joy it's been to see her first tooth appear a few weeks back, to coach her as she sits up for increasingly long periods of time, and to keep her from danger as she more accurately swipes at the objects of her affections.

She has been such a delightful child who hardly ever cries and sleeps well at night. She has begun some pretty cute babbling and seems to also enjoy playing with her lips, contorting them in any way she can.

She loves her brother and their interaction recently has been hilarious. Both Ryan and I stop whatever we're doing just to watch the two of them carry on.

As I type this (one-handed, I might add), she is sleeping on my shoulder. We're waiting for Stephen's Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan to cool down and Ryan is limo-driving. I'll be eating the soup, too, but mine is still on the stove :).

Some thoughts, and a Dog Named Ufonff

2008-10-22T23:22:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I read something that articulates exactly what I've been thinking, though I couldn't have come up with the words myself. That's how I felt when reading this entry by John Piper today.

--

I've always heard about black-eyed peas but I don't think I'd ever tried them ... until last night. Wasn't impressed. I just did a standard recipe with onions, garlic, green peppers. Kind of bland for me. So tonight I turned what was left into a cold salad with freshly chopped red onion, apple cider vinegar, and some more salt and pepper. Much better, but I think I still have some looking to do before I find something really yummy. Any ideas?

--

Tonight Stephen was walking his little plastic dog. He informed us that its name is "[fonf]." OK. Then he proceeded to tell us that the name also starts with the letter "U." So there you go. Stephen's dog named Ufonff, pronounced "fonf."